Phantoms
by xshattered-reflectionx
Summary: My version of what might have happened after the ending of Madness Returns


**I wanted to cure my writer's block so my mum suggested i go on a walk. The walk combined with the fact that i recently got the concept art book created this (somehow).**

**Disclaimer: i don't own Alice Madness Returns **

Alice often went on walks around London. Most of the time it was just to get some "fresh air". Usually it was to get away from the orphanage that she currently stayed at; though she doubted she would be living there much longer.

So it came as no surprise to her when she suddenly decided that she wanted to go for a walk...straight after killing Dr. Bumby. Walking out of the station had been quite a surprise. Alice hadn't expected to see large and colourful mushrooms growing out of dreary grey buildings, she hadn't expected to see a combination of her Wonderland and London, joined together as if the two worlds had formed some sort of peace treaty, and had formed this way to help Alice in some twisted way.

Alice was only too glad to accept this new world. She didn't really mind that the two worlds had joined together. Why should she care? She saw hallucinations from Wonderland while in London on a nearly daily basis. Not much would be that different. The hallucinations would be more realistic perhaps...

Looking behind her, Alice discovered that not all of London appeared to have merged with her daydream world. There was still a dreary grey world behind her. No mushrooms. No oversized dice or domino pieces. Nothing from Wonderland seemed to be in this part of London.

Was that right? Then again, when has anything been truly normal? She probably just had to decide whether she wanted to see her Wonderland friends again or if she wanted to be completely sane...and never see her friends again as a result.

Alice instantly knew which choice she wanted. She didn't want to just forget about her friends in Wonderland. Not after all they had done to help her. She couldn't betray them like that.

And she was just about to walk into "Londerland" as she had now affectionately dubbed it. Except...

_"Alice..."_

Alice froze. She knew that voice. She knew it very well. She had heard it many times in her memories. But it had been 10 years since she had heard that voice. She couldn't possibly have heard _her._ The owner of the voice was dead. It was probably just the wind. Yes. Definately the wind.

Alice hesitantly took a step forwards to go into Londerland like she had planned. She probably would've carried on walking. That is, if she hadn't heard the voice call her again. Again she stopped, and this time she turned around.

The sight that greeted her was a shock to say the least. Because standing before her was her mother, her father and her sister Lizzie. They were smiling, beckoning her to come towards them.

For the first time in her life, Alice found that she didn't know what to do. But when her family began to retreat into the dirty streets of London, she ignored her former decision to reside in Londerland and ran after them, determined not to lose her family again.

Alice, convinced that no one else could see these phantoms, slowed to a brisk walk once people began lining the streets. People stared at her; they knew who she was. She was the mad one. The loony.

Normally Alice would've felt some kind of shame from the drilling gazes burning into her. But for now, her mind was on other things, and she didn't take her eyes off the retreating forms of her family, only speeding up a little when she was afraid she would lose them.

The chase took her past the gloomy Hyde Park, ignoring the lengthening shadows. She chased them past the Mangled Mermaid, ignoring the jeers and wolf whistles from the sailors and fishermen. She chased the phantoms past the orphanage and through the many dark alleyways of London, ignoring the stray cats.

And the whole time she didn't notice a certain pair of eyes; watching, following her silently.

Eventually Alice began to grow tired. But she didn't want to stop following her family. She was too afraid. Afraid that they would disappear into thin air. Afraid that she would never see them ever again.

Alice groaned in frustration and stopped, falling to her knees and almost sobbing. She was such a failure. How could she have allowed them to get away? Slowly she lifted her head, expecting to see completely blank space in front of her.

However she was pleasantly surprised to find the three figures still standing in front of her. She knew they were waiting for her. She didn't know how she knew. She just knew.

Finally catching her breath Alice stood and slowly began to walk towards her parents and Lizzie. She was pleased to find that they no longer ran from her as if to lead her on a wild goose chase.

But as she approached the figures of her family, she noticed her surroundings. She didn't know this part of London. None of it was recognisable at all. And the darkness caused by the night made the shadows look more frightening than the Ruin. _Wait...Did that shadow just move?_

_"Don't go near them Alice."_

Alice almost jumped in surprise upon hearing the voice in her head. She didn't know the Cheshire Cat could communicate with her like that. It would've saved a lot of trouble in the past...

No. Something was wrong with Chesh. His voice didn't have the usual teasing tone in it that was itching to dish out riddles. He almost seemed...worried...

But despite his warning, she couldn't stop her feet from taking her towards them.

_"Don't go near them Alice."_

Another voice now. Rabbit's. He also sounded worried. The Hatter joined. Then the Queen. Caterpillar...All of her friends' voices resounded in her head, warning her against going near the ghosts of her family.

But she was still getting closer.

The warnings from her friends seemed to be going in one ear and straight out of the other. The figures of her family smiled at her kindly, encouraging her to come even closer to them. Alice took the extra time to go over every detail of her family's faces.

She faltered a little when she noticed that something didn't seem quite right about them. They seemed a little too pale. It was probably nothing though. They WERE phantoms afterall...

The voices of her friends began getting louder; more frantic and panicked. They seemed genuinely frightened. What was there to be frightened of? It was only her mother and father and Lizzie.

Perhaps if she had been in her right mind, she would have listened to her friends' warnings. But Alice chose to ignore them for a reason. Alice had been without her family for so long. She just wanted to be with them again, even if they were only delusions. Surely there couldn't be anything wrong with that?

As she approached, Lizzie stepped towards her and held out her hand, silently asking for Alice to take her hand.

Alice didn't notice the malicious glint in the eyes of her older sister. And she most definately didn't notice how eerie the expressions of her family had become. She only saw her family; her loving family, who was taken from her in such a cruel way.

Alice smiled and grabbed Lizzie's hand. She suddenly heard screams of anguish and despair. She recognised those voices. Why were her friends so against her family?

But wait. There were three more voices that she recognised amid the screams. These voices were also crying out in despair. She frowned and her heart lurched as she recognised who the voices belonged to and she heard the voice of her mother, father and Lizzie.

_"Alice. What have you done?"_

A shooting pain suddenly went straight through her chest and she gasped in shock and pain. Her hand grasped at the gaping hole, trying to stop the blood and she looked up at the phantoms once again.

She could now see that they weren't in fact human. They were not normal. And they were being controlled by a certain shadow whose eyes didn't seem human. They seemed supernatural.

And then as she heard the shadow laugh maniacally, everything went black.

**I know it doesn't really reveal what happens in the end. It's not because i was too lazy to finish or anything, it's more of a morbid curiousity i suppose. I kinda want to see what everyone else thinks really happened in the end of this story. :/**

**It really took me a while to get this written down. It took me ages just to get the IDEA! But i really hope you liked it :D Please R and R **

**NOTE: This is just a one-shot! I'm not going to be continuing this! **


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